Mathews man, former pilot envisions changing space flight

Bill Crowe designed a test apparatus for a centrifugal force amplification vehicle. He has worked for several years on the concept, which he says could be used to build aircraft that are more efficient for space and long-distance air travel.

Bill Crowe designed a test apparatus for a centrifugal force amplification vehicle. He has worked for several years on the concept, which he says could be used to build aircraft that are more efficient for space and long-distance air travel.

"What this idea is, is a different way to go into space," Crowe said. "The idea, or concept, I believe is right. Whether they can make a vehicle that way, I don't know — but I think they can."

The concept

Years ago, Crowe began studying propulsion and centrifugal force in flight.

"I started reading about it. I joined the National Space Society, got really interested in physics, and I would carry around this book 'Understanding Physics' by Isaac Asimov," Crowe explained. "I would take that with me on my flights. When I had time to kill I would read it and then what I didn't understand I would reread and then reread again."

He dreamed of creating a more energy efficient and environmentally friendly means of air and space travel. He envisioned his vehicle replacing modern long-distance airliners and traveling thousands of miles per hour outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

"You could travel from Hawaii to New York in about two hours," Crowe said.

He calls his concept a "centrifugal force amplification vehicle."

It would resemble a large airliner on the inside, Crow said. Passengers could still move about as they do on flights today, but the outside would be shaped like a Frisbee — yes, a flying saucer.

Unlike large airliners, Crowe's vehicle would not need the push of air or the use of large amounts of fuel, he claims. It would be able to fly in thinner air, faster, up to about 150,000 feet above the Earth. A modern airplane has to be within about 40,000 feet of the surface, he explained, or the atmosphere is too thin to support flight.

But his vehicle does have "some restrictions," Crowe said "You have to take off and go eastbound, at least initially, because you take advantage of going over the curve [of the Earth]."

He would not go into detail about how the vehicle would take off — he has a patent pending. But he did explain that it would need to plug into an external power source prior to lift off.

"This is not energy that has to be carried," Crowe said.

He said the vehicle would accelerate gently for 10 to 15 minutes before reaching high speeds.

There is, of course, one question: Would a vehicle like this actually work?

Forward thinking

Tom Benson is a senior aerospace engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Ohio and he said researchers have been studying this type of high-speed, energy efficient flight for some time. He said the biggest challenge most run into is getting it going.

"You have to get it moving to get it to start working," he said. "It becomes a problem. That's why there are not a lot of these type of vehicles flying around."

Benson said he worked on the National Aerospace Plan in the early 1990s that explored the concept of a runway to orbit vehicle. He said then President Ronald Reagan mentioned the "Orient Express" in his 1986 State of the Union address, citing his hopes for a high-speed, low-Earth orbital flying vehicle that could get passengers from the U.S. to Tokyo in two hours.

Although he could not comment specifically about Crowe's idea, Benson said the space and aviation industry is always open to new ideas and concepts.

"We don't want to discourage people from thinking outside the box," he said.

Recently, NASA tested a saucer shaped vehicle called a "Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator." According to Benson, it is being studied to possibly land on Mars.

NASA's saucer is actually an inflatable portion of a spacecraft. Benson said it would be used like a giant parachute to help a heavier vehicle slow down to land on Mars.

Benson said the U.S. Army even experimented with saucer-shaped aircraft in the 1950s but ran into problems controlling the plane while moving through the air.

Optimistic future

Crowe admits he is a long way from producing the type of vehicle he has envisioned for years, but he believes it is worthwhile to continue the pursuit.

"My idea is to show the concept and how to do it," he said.

Then, his best hope is that someone in the aerospace industry will be interested in testing his entire theory on a larger scale.

In the meantime, he is working on obtaining his official patent, and has already received a provisional one.

"I know if I can find the right person, they will grab onto it and go," he said.

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